Keystone Health Information Exchange’s Agile COVID-19 Response

KeyHIE, a Geisinger corporation, is Pennsylvania’s longest-operating HIE. It serves approximately 8.3 million patients in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The Challenge

During the COVID-19 crisis, the Governor’s office sought help from KeyHIE through the Pennsylvania Statewide Immunization Information System (PA-SIIS). A provider lacked the technological resources to transmit critical COVID-19 vaccination records directly from its internal immunisation information system to PA-SIIS. The ramifications of a scenario such as this can be significant.

One recent article noted that “quality data capture is a critical component of response efforts. Poor data can lead to gaps in communication between public health departments and healthcare organisations that can make it difficult to track cases and reduce infection rates.”2 KeyHIE’s efforts demanded both speed and a standards-based approach.